LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Hawai'i Pacific University opened their spring season by posting a first round 305 at the Las Vegas Desert Classic on Sunday at the Royal Links Golf Club.
 
The Sharks 305 is two strokes behind No. 32 Washburn (Kan.) in ninth at 303, but is two stroke ahead of No. 45 Central Oklahoma at 307 and No. 39 Colorado Mesa at 311. Nine of the 15 teams in the tournament are nationally ranked by Golfstat.
 
No. 3 West Florida leads the tournament after a 1-under-par 287, three strokes better than 10th ranked St. Mary's (Texas) at 2-over 290 and four in front of No. 29 Missouri-St. Louis, the tournament host, at 3-over 291.
 
The Sharks had a trio of players tour the par 72, 6,962-yard  Links Replica course at 4-over-par 76 with senior Chad Vander Dussen of Rancho Murieta, Calif./Pleasant Grove, senior Masato Yoshitsugu of Aichi, Japan/Bluffton S.C. Heritage Academy, and sophomore Sirasit Prateepmongkol of Bangkok, Thailand/Ruamrudee International all posting the score. Senior Chris McKnight of Wilton, Calif./Cosumnes Oaks added a 5-over 77 and senior Zach Kwan of Sacramento, Calif./Granite Bay shot a 7-over 79.
 
West Florida's Harry Butler leads the tournament individually at 5-under 67, three strokes ahead of a tie for second between Wingate's Philip Coles and St. Mary's Jake Stevenson at 2-under 70.
 
The second of three rounds of the tournament is scheduled for Monday at Royal Links with a shotgun start at 7 a.m. HST (9 a.m. PST). The Sharks start from holes 10 to 13 and are paired with Central Oklahoma and Colorado Mesa.